When did dating become so complicated? Okay, so I’ve been off the scene for a while, but I had no idea it had changed so much.

I’ve recently been on a couple of dates, and naively thought things might not have changed that much. But over the past 10 years (which is roughly how long it’s been since I was last on a ‘date’) we’ve had the invention of Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bebo, you get the point, and mobile phone technology has advanced so much I’m not sure whether to Skype, or text or email the other person. There’s a part of my wants to strangle Mark Zuckerburg , I’m not sure I want this person I hardly know reading my ‘status thoughts’ and my interaction with my friends or even peeking at pics of me posing with a cracker between my legs! It also leaves an awkward moment when they ask for my full name at the end of the evening, just so they can ‘add’ me.

Gone are the days where you build up the courage to see if he’s going to kiss you at the end of the night, or who might call who first. Call me old-fashioned but all this interference of technology has taken the fun out of dating.

So I have decided to issue my 3 top tips to the perfect date (well, with me anyway!):

1.Keep it Simple and Be a Gentleman. I’m not saying you have to pay the bill or be my Clark Gable , but some manners wouldn’t go a miss. Things like opening the door and ordering a drink for me will seriously go a long way.

2.Be Yourself. Don’t try and be something you’re not. I meet people all the time that try to fit a mould you they assume I want them to be. You’ll only fall flat on your face, trust me. Lying is the worse trait any person can have and usually I see straight though it.

3.If the date isn’t working, don’t be afraid to say so. I personally would much rather know where I stand and couldn’t think of anything more irritating that wasting an evening with someone when we both know it just isn’t going to work. So saying something simple such as ‘This isn’t working for me, how about we just stay friends?’ I personally would respect your honesty and it shows balls. On the other hand, if the date is doing well, don’t be afraid to say so, again something simple like ‘I’m having a great night’ will do fine. It’s always better to know where you both stand.

So there you are, back to basic tactics as I call them. Try them on your next date, they might just work.